


Sweet Dreams.

by jasminecheyanne



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Brainwashing, Canon-Typical Violence, Death, Eventual Romance, F/M, Medical Procedures, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Telepathic Abilities, Telepathy, Torture, dream walking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-03-21 12:38:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13741038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jasminecheyanne/pseuds/jasminecheyanne
Summary: Camilla Rodriguez is a very strong Telepath, and with the help of the organisation, Redemption, she is able to slip into the dreams of those who are lost, and aid them in finding themselves again. For decades, without ever ageing past twenty-five, she has been travelling the world in search of lost souls.Eventually, she comes across Sergeant James Barnes who is in the hands of HYDRA, the Nazi-born scientific reserve. After some time passes with her and James both trying to fight against HYDRA's ministrations, his thoughts and dreams are suddenly lost to her, and she knows it isn't because of cryo, but another talented Telepath.She seeks Captain Steve Rogers for assistance in tracking down his best friend, with the hopes of bringing him back home for good.





	1. 00. Take it Easy in a Speakeasy.

The speakeasy was crowded, dames in brightly coloured dresses and gents in polished suits jiving and thriving to the beat of the frantic jazz the live band was playing. And among the dancers, in the smoke-filled air, a grinning Steve Rogers, all dolled-up in his army uniform, spun a laughing, red-adorned Peggy Carter away from his body, before tugging her back into his chest. He had never felt more alive than he did in that moment.

Bucky was off somewhere with the other Howlies, trying his hand at darts against a few of the local men. Being the sharp-shooter that he was, Steve had no worry that Bucky would come back smokeless. 'Cause, ya see, with the war goin' on, folks couldn't really afford to bet money. Cigarettes and cigars were just as well as any shiny nickel the next Joe or John had collecting lint in his pocket.

As Peggy;s feminine perfume flooded Steve's senses, he snapped back to reality, looking down at his dancing partner to find her smirking up at him. There was a glint in her deep brown eyes that had become familiar to him, that always made his heart stutter.

"And you said you couldn't dance, Captain." She teased, her slim hands smoothing down the collar of his jacket, her shiny red nails tapping against his medals pinned to  the rough fabric to the rhythm of the drumbeat. 

Now, Steve didn't know if it was the atmosphere of the pub, or his present company, but he felt confident and comfortable in his own skin for the first time in his whole life. "Well, I never said that. I just said I was waiting for the right partner."

Peggy threw her head back as she laughed, the energy of the room clearly getting to her. "And who was it that taught you how to dance?" Her voice goes soft. "Your mother?"

Steve's eyes flew unbidden toward his friend at the dart board, laughing boisterously with Dum-Dum. Before he could avert his gaze, the beautiful woman on his arm followed his line of sight.

Peggy's eyebrows shot up, a teasing grin upon her face. "Barnes?" Steve felt his face heat up in embarrassment, and a touch of fear, his earlier confidence rapidly disappearing. The S.S.R. Agent only shrugged her shoulders and gave the Captain's arm a reassuring squeeze.

"You two really are close, aren't you?"

Steve released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, a relieved smile on his face as he and his - hopefully - best girl swayed to the slow number now playing. "Like brothers. I'd die for him, and I know he'd do the same for me, if it came down to it. Even before the war."

As he spoke, his eyes found their way back to his best friend, only to find the entire room empty. His ears rang with the lack of upbeat music and laughter. His hands had fallen from Peggy's waist in his surprise, and as he spun around in a circle, his heart began to pound. "What the he-?"

"Captain Rogers."

Whirling around at the unfamiliar voice, he finds a petite woman standing where Peggy once stood. But instead of a red dress. she wore faded blue jeans tucked into black lace-up boots and a white t-shirt. Her expression was grim.

"Who the hell are you? What did you do with everyone?" Steve demanded to know, striding toward her, ready to lift her off the ground by her throat if he needed to.

The woman stood her ground, her face still as grim as ever. She didn't seem intimidated by Steve's sheer size alone. Maybe she didn't know what he was capable of. Well, she was about to find out.

"Captain Rogers, my name is Camilla Rodriguez, and I am Telepathic. Which means I can read people's minds, and given my rank, I can also slip into their dreams. I'm sorry for interrupting, but I need your help."

Steve's hands were clenched into tight fists, his eyebrows furrowed over his eyes. "And why would I help you? You're the woman who ruined a perfectly good dream, after all."

Camilla's lips twitched into a ghost of a smile before settling back into stony seriousness. "Trust me, I wouldn't have bothered if it wasn't serious. It's about Sergeant Barnes."

For an instant, Steve's heart stopped beating, before picking up in double-time. "What about him?" His voice came out weak and strained.

Camilla meets his eyes evenly. "He's alive, but HYDRA has him. They've had him since you went into the ice. He's been tortured and brainwashed to do their bidding as the Winter Soldier. And when they're finished with him, he's been put into cryostasis until they need him again." Steve stopped consciously listening after hearing the words  _he's alive..._ He knows he'll process everything else later, but in that moment, those two words are all he can focus on.

"I've been in contact with him through his dreams and thoughts for the better part of a decade. It took me awhile to break through his conditioning, and I had to do it many times, but I always got through. Even when he was in cryo. But recently, I haven't been able to get into contact with him; his thoughts are being blocked by a fairly strong telepath and I can't get through to him. He's on his own until I find a way to reach him. That's where you come in."

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Steve squares his shoulders and looks her in the eye.

"When do we start?"


	2. 01. Friend of a Friend.

Camilla Rodriguez sat alone at a bar, a can of Ginger Ale in her hand. Alcohol made her abilities faulty. She learned that the hard way back in college. She kept her eyes on the mirror placed behind the establishments most fancy wine as her nude-painted nail tapped on the rim of her drink. Anyone who didn't know her would think she was admiring her reflection, but those that did knew she was keeping an eye out for someone.

_Sanctuary Cove_ was exactly what you'd think, given the name. It was a sanctuary for many people. Those with. . . _extraordinary_ abilities, that is. Cam knew, as she had experienced it firsthand a long time ago, that many people of the world didn't accept powered folk. Those that did helped keep the bar afloat.

What most people didn't know about the place, was that the man who owned it was also the co-founder of Redemption. This bar had a large hand in giving the group clients, but certainly not the only option. Cam could go into all of their algorithms, all of the members and their powers, but a girl's got to have her secrets. 

The bell above the door chimes as its opened, and deep brown eyes spot a tall man with broad shoulders, wearing a ball-cap and sunglasses walk in. She snorts into her Canadian beverage, nearly getting bubbles up her nose.  _What a terrible disguise. It's a wonder he hasn't gotten spotted more often._

_Two exits. One I came through, another at the back of the bar. It's discreet, though. Blends almost seamlessly into the wall. If it was for the employees, it wouldn't be hidden. Camilla said she can travel through people's dreams. . .does that mean she can travel through dimensions through doors, too? At this point, I don't think it'd surprise me._

His thoughts were so loud, Cam didn't even need to try to get a read on him. As he walked up to the bar and ordered a scotch, one woman and one man entered, arm in arm. They were good at blending in, but Cam had an advantage over most people.

_If she even looks at him wrong, I'm driving my six-inch stiletto heel through her jugular,_ Came the red-headed woman's cold promise. Cam nodded her head in approval as she watched them through the mirror.

_Oooo, they got mozzarella sticks!_ The man thought eagerly, a wide smile upon his face. Cam stifled a laugh, caught slightly off-guard. She figured he'd be thinking of ways to kill her with the napkin dispenser, not cheese-breaded-goodness. 

Shaking her head, she slides off her bar stool, and strides toward the Captain, sitting right next to him, "Now, what's a pretty thing like you doin' in a place like this?" She rests her head in her hand and bats her eyelashes up at him. 

Steve flinches slightly at her sudden proximity, before relaxing when he catches her reflection, "Fella done me wrong." He drawls, throwing back his scotch without so much as a wince. Before Cam can reply, he slams his glass onto the counter and turns on her. "Stop screwing around. I need proof you really know Bucky. Tell me something only he and I would know."

Camilla straightens up and runs a hand through her hair, sighing. "When your mom died," She starts off quietly, "You were planning on braving it alone, but Sergeant Barnes said that you didn't have to be alone." She turns to him and looks him in the eye. "He said that he was with you, til the end of the line. You two have said it to each other ever since."

He stares at her in silence. She didn't have to pry to know he was genuinely surprised. He thought she'd been bullshitting, thought maybe she wanted to be the one to say she got the drop on Captain America. He hangs his head and takes in a deep, shuddering breath to control his emotions.

"You know," Cam says, running her finger through the condensation on the side of her can, "I was the reason it was S.H.I.E.L.D. that found you in the ice, not HYDRA." The three minds of those listening in went blank with surprise. 

The dark-eyed girl shrugged her shoulders, "I'm not really surprised you don't remember my voice; you were pretty out of it down there." Captain Rogers leans heavily against the counter as he whispers, "You talked to me when I was in the ice?"

She nods. "Yes. I managed to convince you to hold on just a bit longer, because by that time, I knew Sergeant Barnes was still alive. I just knew your stories weren't quite finished."

Captain Rogers listens to her voice as she speaks, and his mind's eye flashes to a cold world shrouded in darkness. He hears her voice, distantly.  _"Captain. . .Hold on, Captain Rogers. Help is on the way. . ."_

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Steve takes off his sunglasses and rubs at his eyes. "Would you still've done that if Bucky was really. . ." He trails off, and Cam nods firmly, placing a hand on his arm. "Absolutely. The world is always going to need Captain America, and Steve Rogers is always going to need the world."

His hands fall from his eyes as he looks down at the dark marble counter top, shaking his head in disbelief, while his friends think their doubtful thoughts, loud and clear for any telepathic individual to pick up on.

Snorting, she turns around on her stool, pressing her back against the edge of the bar, her eyes easily spotting the man and woman subtly keeping eyes on them. "Why don't your friends come out of hiding now? I can hear their scepticism from here." A moment of surprise later, and Steve is bringing his hand to his ear and mutters the go-ahead. 

Sliding to the ground, she smiles up at Steve as his friends weave their way through the crowd. "Follow me." She turns on her heel, and heads toward the concealed door at the back. She steps in first, and holds open the door, closing it as soon as the three walk past her.

"So, what," The dark-skinned man says, "You're like some Edward Cullen type'a gal? Do you sparkle in the sunlight, too?" 

Steve sighs as he crosses his arms over his chest. "Sam." He warns, but Cam just smirks and winks at the man known as the Falcon.

"Depends on how much highlighter I'm wearing."

"Who do you work for?" The red-head demands to know, cutting to the chase.

Cam meets her eyes evenly. "I'm part of a group named Redemption. We specialise in finding people who have lost their way, powered or not, and guide them in the right direction."

Natasha has heard of them, Cam knows. Cam also knows that she won't admit that out loud. Instead, she tells her to prove her telepathic abilities. 

"Okay," Camilla agrees easily. "Think up something. Anything, and I'll tell you what it is."

The Black Widow steps forward and stares at the mind-reader without waver.  _If you're lying, I will kill you with my bare hands._

Cam relays her thoughts to the room, and vows, "I'm not lying. I can prove it to you." She smiles then, "But I appreciate your loyalty to your friend. You're gonna need it."

"Ooh, do me next!" Sam exclaims, attempting to break the tension. Camilla doesn't even need to look at him to know what he's thinking, and she says it with a straight face, while staring into Natasha's eyes.

"Caw-Caw, motherfucker."

Sam giggles to himself, only stopping when Steve speaks up. "Why have you been helping Bucky?"

She knew the question was coming, it was only a matter of time, but it still makes her sarcastic facade fade. She knew that in order for them to  _really_ trust her, she would need to be open, honest and vulnerable. She takes a deep breath.

"In the time that I've been communicating with Sergeant B-. . .with  _Bucky,_ we've become friends." She admits, sitting down on one of the couches, conscious of their eyes on her. "I've come to trust him and he's come to trust me. He's remembered me just a little bit after each wipe of his memories, because I left a part of me in his head.

"He has trusted me enough to leave his life, more or less, in my hands." 

The room is silent for a long time as Steve sits next to her and buries his head in his hands, his knee jumping up in down. Once he manages to pull himself together, his eyes are closed when he lifts his head. "Do you know where he is right now?"

Cam's expression grows grim and she curls her hands into fists in her lap. "I do," She says, looking each of them in the eye, one by one.

"But you're not gonna like it."


End file.
